Tag Archives: lemons

Being almost half Swedish we love most things Scandinavian. This drink was inspired by some of the brighter flavors Jake experienced while he was studying in Karlstad. Slightly sweet, slightly acidic, slightly piney, this herbaceous delight is the perfect summer cooler for whatever you’re in for. Also, since the Olympics are on even your drinking should have a little international flair.

Using your paring knife cut the lemon into discs and cut the rosemary sprig in half. Place a basil leaf and the rosemary piece in the center of a lemon disc (like a little lilly pad) and set aside for garnish.

Put a couple ice cubes in your cocktail shaker and add the gin, St. Germain, Lillet, cardamom syrup and bitters. Pop the top on and shake vigorously.

Pour over ice, squeeze in a little extra lemon juice and top the whole thing off with tonic.

We’ve been trying to expand our veggie vocabulary a bit lately and the Greenmarket is just the place to inspire. A recent trip yielded some gorgeous looking French breakfast radishes that were practically begging us to take them home. Oh little madames and monsieurs, how about a little menage a trois with some anchovies and butter? Oui, oui. Mind if our friends butter and capers watch? No? Now it’s a party.

Preheat the oven to 450° F. If you haven’t taken the butter out of the fridge yet do so, you’ll want that at room temperature.

Scrub the radishes under cold water to remove any excess dirt, pull of any questionable leaves but keep the rest on. Dry the radishes and place them in your skillet to await their fate.

In a small mixing bowl add the butter, 1 TSP capers, 3 anchovy fillets and the zest of a lemon.

So zesty.

Squeeze in the juice of half of said lemon and stir the whole lot together, taking care to mash the unholy hell out of the anchovies so they incorporate into the butter. Give it a taste and adjust it to your liking; we typically add more anchovy and capers to brine things up a bit.

Whip it good.

Toss the radishes in extra virgin olive oil until everything’s evenly coated. Sprinkle sea salt and pepper over top and toss another anchovy fillet into the mix. It’ll melt down while the roots are roasting and lend a subtle umami kick to the veggies. Pop ’em in the oven for 12 minutes, turn ’em and cook for another 12 minutes.

Coat the radishes evenly.

After the cooking time is up turn the oven off, spread some of the anchovy butter over each radish and pop them back in the oven for another minute to let everything melt together. Plate ’em up and serve with leftover butter for dipping.

Cold weather and cold symptoms should not impede your ability to throw a couple back. In fact, it provides you with a perfect excuse to have a cocktail in the name of therapeutic benefit. This version of the hot toddy uses Irish whiskey (and Thomas’ name) to mix things up a bit but the general idea is the same: a warm drink with soothing flavors and a decent buzz.

1 tea bag (no need to get fancy, just use a generic tea bag or black tea for this application)(about $5/box of 100)

1 TSP honey ($4.39/12 oz)

1/4 lemon wedge ($0.50/lemon)

4-8 whole cloves (about $3/1.75 oz jar)

2 cinnamon sticks ($3.59/2 oz jar)

Preparation:

Heat up some water for your tea; you can either do this in a tea kettle or in the microwave (or over an open fire if you’re the rustic type). When it’s just short of boiling add the tea bag to your glass and pour in the hot water. Let it steep (or soak for you lay people) for about 3 minutes; 5 if you want it stronger.

Once the tea has gotten to your desired level of strength remove the bag and stir in the honey and whiskey. Drop in your cinnamon sticks.

Squeeze in the juice of your lemon wedge. Take the whole cloves and push them into what’s left of the lemon and toss the flavor bomb into the mix. Stir, sip and repeat until your cold is gone (or you’ve passed out and don’t care anymore).

We’re not gonna lie, we totally ripped this idea off from a spread we saw while shopping in Fairway. Our version, however, isn’t $14 for 8 ounces, so there. This blend is great by itself on bread but can be used for pizzas, on pasta, as a sauce for poultry, you name it. For a sharper bite use the garlic raw instead of roasting it.

Peel as much of the loose outer papery skin odd the garlic bulbs as you can without actually peeling them. Cut the tops off of the cloves and tear off a piece of foil large enough to enclose both bulbs.

Place the foil in the baking sheet and set down your garlic bulbs, cut side up. Drizzle about two tablespoons of olive oil over the top and sprinkle some salt and pepper on each as well. Wrap them up and pop them in the oven for 35 minutes.

Lube your bulbs.

While your garlic is roasting drain the artichokes and quarter them. Put them in the blender or food processor, add a palmful of salt and pepper, and grate in a quarter cup of Parmigiano cheese. Squeeze in the juice of half a lime, pour in two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and blend everything together until it’s smooth.

The acidity of the lemon helps balance things out.

When your garlic has roasted let it cool for a couple of minutes and then squeeze the cloves out of their peels and into your artichoke puree. Blend until everything is incorporated and add more cheese, salt, pepper or lemon to taste. Spread on your vessel of choice and buon appetito!

Because we know our superfan Jayn has been dying for a quick and easy salad we whipped this one up to celebrate the end of summer’s pickin’s that we got from our CSA. Minimal cooking maximizes each ingredient’s flavor to help ease the transition that no one really wants to make from summer to fall. Make this as a subtle but capable counter to roasted meats or just as a light complement for your end of the season barbeques.

Fill your pot 3/4 full with water and place it over high heat. As your water is coming to a boil wash your green beans thoroughly. Snap off both ends of each bean. Add them to the pot and blanch them (read: let them boil) for 3 minutes.

While your beans are boiling, prepare an ice bath in a mixing bowl by adding ice and cold water until it’s 3/4 full. Once the beans are done shock them by putting them in the cold bowl and let them sit for 2 minutes. Remove and dry the beans and set them aside while you prep the rest of the salad.

Shock your beans in the ice bath to preserve their crunch and vibrant color.

Wash the tomatoes, cut them into quarters and toss them in your mixing bowl. Mince the garlic clove and toss it in too. Add the green beans, drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and squeeze in the juice of half a lemon. Stir everything together and let it sit in the fridge for about an hour to meld the flavors.

Cut the "larger" tomatoes into quarters but halves are fine for the smaller ones; just keep them bite-sized.

Brighten things up with some lemon juice.

Right before you’re ready to serve the salad, place your frying pan over medium heat and once it’s warm add the almonds. Stir them constantly until they’re lightly toasted (about 5 minute). Transfer them to your cutting board and, while carefully minding your fingertips, sliver the almonds as best you can. Sprinkle them across the top of the salad and give everything a pinch of good sea salt if you’ve got some. Savor summer while you can.

Toasted almonds help ground the dish with just the rich amount of rich nuttiness.

Don’t get us wrong, we like nachos as much, nay, more than the next person but variety is the spice of life. What better way to give the chip/meat/cheese/sauce combo than take it on a trip through the Mediterranean? No better way, that’s what. Go ahead and use beef if you can’t find ground lamb or don’t like the flavor. You can also save some time by using pre-made olive tapenade, but we suggest trying to make it at least once; it’s easy and the results taste much fresher.

Zest in the skin of the lemon, then squeeze in the juice. Be careful not to get any seeds in.

Stop when you hit the pith (the white part) to avoid bitterness.

Mince the rosemary and toss it in the mix. Peel your garlic and turn it into a paste by sprinkling about a teaspoon of salt on top and repeatedly pressing it with the edge of your chef’s knife. Throw it in with the rest.

We grow our own.

Crack about a tablespoon of fresh black pepper in, pour in a tablespoon of olive oil and give it a good stir to make sure everything is well-distributed. Adjust your flavors as you see fit and let the mix sit in the fridge for about an hour to let the flavors meld before you use it.

Nacho Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Take your pitas and cut them into eighths. Pull the halves apart so each piece becomes two chips. Place the triangles in a single layer on your baking sheets, brush them with olive oil and give them a good sprinkle of salt. Put them in the oven for 5 minutes or until crisp. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.

Don’t saturate them, a light basting will do.

While the chips are baking dice your onion and mince the 3 cloves of garlic. Remove the chips when they’re done.

Put the frying pan over medium heat and coat the bottom with olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and cook them down for about 5 minutes.

Toss in the lamb and season it with the cumin, oregano and a good dose of salt and pepper. Break up all the meat and cook it through, stirring occasionally (about 8 minutes).

Lamb gives the whole shebang a richer flavor.

Drain as much of the fat off as you can and spread the meat evenly across the pita chips. Crumble the feta on top of that and pop the baking sheets back in the oven for 5 minutes.

Pull the nachos out, spread tzatziki and tapenade across the top and devour.

Sometimes you spend hours, nay, days thinking about what to cook and sometimes serendipity smacks you in the face and makes the decision for you. During a recent trip to the supermarket Jake picked up some prepackaged hummus only to discover that both chick peas and lemons were on sale for less than the prepared product. And thus the brothers created fresh hummus to eat and it was good.

(Note: For deeper flavor roast your garlic. If you don’t want to or don’t have time, just use raw garlic and skip to the next step.) Preheat your oven to 350°F (if you have a toaster oven use that). Cut the stem side of each clove of garlic off and place them on a piece of aluminum foil large enough to wrap them in. Drizzle with olive oil, wrap tightly and place them on the baking sheet. Failure to use a baking sheet will result in a guaranteed oil fire so don’t forget this part. Toss those puppies in the oven for 10 minutes.

A drizzle will do ya.

Drain the chick peas, saving 1/4 of a can of liquid. Pour the peas and juice in your food processor. Mince the garlic and toss it in with a healthy pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse the mix until the peas have broken down a bit.

Add the tahini, chili oil and olive oil. Squeeze in the juice of all three lemons and add the cayenne pepper and paprika. Process until the consistency of thick yogurt and adjust the flavors as desired. Add more oil and tahini to make things smoother if it’s still on the dry side. Serve with warm pita bread or veggies.

Add the tahini and oil a little at a time so you can fine tune the texture and taste.